The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to electrical connectors for coaxial cables, and more particularly, to electrically conductive housings of coaxial cable connectors.
Due to their favorable electrical characteristics, coaxial cables and connectors have grown in popularity for interconnecting electronic devices and peripheral systems. Coaxial cable connectors typically include an inner electrical contact coaxially disposed within an outer electrical contact of an electrically conductive housing, with a dielectric material separating the inner electrical contact and the outer electrical contact. The inner electrical contact terminates the end of an inner electrical conductor of the coaxial cable, while the electrically conductive housing terminates an outer electrical conductor of the coaxial cable that is coaxial with the inner electrical conductor. The outer electrical conductor of the coaxial cable and the housing of the coaxial cable connector typically serve as the ground path.
However, the geometry of the housing of at least some known coaxial cable connectors may require multiple crimping operations to complete termination of the coaxial cable to the coaxial cable connector. For example, multiple crimping operations may be used to crimp ground tabs to the outer electrical conductor of the coaxial cable and to crimp retention tabs that hold the outer electrical contact in position relative to a base of the housing. Moreover, in at least some known coaxial cable connectors, a portion of the end of the outer electrical conductor of the coaxial cable that extends past the ground tabs is exposed about the entirety of the circumference of the end portion except the portion of the circumference that is engaged by the base. The portion of the end that is exposed may emit electromagnetic interference (EMI).
There is a need for a coaxial cable connector that enables a coaxial cable to be terminated to the coaxial cable connector with fewer operations and/or that provides better EMI protection than at least some known coaxial cable connectors.